Talk:Margaret Thompson/@comment-108.36.73.99-20111118002842/@comment-210608-20111118043811
I'd hesitate to say that either Lucy or Margaret are whores personally. Sure they both profit financially from their relationships with Nucky but for both of them the relationship is far more than a simple exchange of money for sex. I can't recall an instance of Nucky calling Margaret a whore but I am not finished with my season 1 re-watch, perhaps you can point me to the episode? I do recall that during their reconciliation Nucky tells Margaret that the times with her and her children are the happiest of his life. She gives him the opportunity to be a father figure. She gives him sound business advice. He trusts her above everyone in his organization when Eli is shot. She gives him intelligent conversation. Lucy gave Nucky companionship. She acted socially as his partner and entertained his friends. She tried to make him happy. She did take advantage of his wealth sure but she gave more back than just sex. There is a difference to my mind between the relationship Nucky has with Margaret and the one he had with Lucy. I find it a little worrying that the internet outcry against Margaret is so hateful (speaking of experience from the IMDB message boards for the show not the comment I'm replying to here). Nucky cheats on Margaret the very same day that she agrees to live with him in Season 1. Its a sorry indictment of gender politics that there is a backlash against the unfaithful female character when the repeatedly unfaithful male character faces no such negative commentary amongst the fan community. You said "If you were good you wouldn't be here." I don't understand who "you" refers to in this sentence. Could you clarify this? I agree that it is foolish for Margaret to sleep with Owen. It jeopardises her domestic and romantic security. I do think it is understandable though. Firstly, it must be hard for her to feel secure when she is so dependent on Nucky for everything and she knows that he is in danger both from law enforcement and his rivals so jeopardising the relationship further is not a leap. Secondly, she has reached an emotional nadir after her failed attempt to reconnect with her estranged family and is desperate to feel a connection to someone. Owen's talk of feeling depersonalised in a foreign country gives her a sense of connection to him. I think she takes the opportunity to comfort herself by sleeping with him not because she really believes she can trust him but out of desperation. In favour of trusting him, she knows that the consequences for him will be severe if Nucky finds out so it is in his interest to keep quiet. You mention that he might want to cross Nucky in the future. Even if circumstances change enough that he does want to hurt Nucky then it will be difficult. Nucky supports the IRA financially so he will not have the backing of the IRA. Nucky is still relatively powerful in America. If Owen decides to hurt Nucky then killing him might be the sensible thing to do rather than telling him about sleeping with Margaret and then waiting for him to exact revenge. I genuinely think Margaret does not consider any of this but acts out of desperation for intimacy. You mention wanting to see Margaret out on the street. Why does she deserve this in your opinion? What are your hopes regarding consequences for Nucky? How did you feel about Angela being unfaithful to Jimmy this week? How does that compare to how you felt when Jimmy was unfaithful to Angela with Pearl?